The subject of this sketch was a young mulatto woman, twenty-three years
of age, who fled from the City of Baltimore. Both before and after her
escape Roberta appeared to appreciate her situation most fully. Her
language concerning freedom had in it the ring of common sense, as had
her remarks touching her slave life.
In making her grievances known to the Committee she charged Mr. and Mrs.
McCoy with having done great violence to her freedom and degrading her
womanhood by holding her in bonds contrary to her wishes. Of Mr. McCoy,
however, she spoke less severely than she did of his "better half."
Indeed she spoke of some kind traits in his character, but said that his
wife was one of "the torn down, devilish dispositions, all the time
quarreling and fighting, and would swear like an old sailor." It was in
consequence of these evil propensities that her ladyship was intolerable
to Roberta. Without being indebted to her owners for any privileges, she
had managed to learn to read a little, which knowledge she valued highly
and meant to improve in Canada.
Roberta professed to be a Christian, and was a member of the Bethel
Methodist Church. Her servitude, until within four years of her escape,
had been passed in Virginia, under Mrs. McCoy's father, when to
accommodate the daughter she was transferred to Baltimore. Of her
parentage or relatives no note was made on the book. It was sad to see
such persons destitute and homeless, compelled to seek refuge among
strangers, not daring to ask the slightest favor, sympathy or prayer to
aid her, Christian as she was, from any Christian of Baltimore, wearing
a fair skin.
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